KUWAIT PM RAISED NUCLEAR CONCERNS DURING TRIP TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001112

SIPDIS

NEA/ARP, NEA/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2019
TAGS: PREL KNNP IR KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT PM RAISED NUCLEAR CONCERNS DURING TRIP TO
TEHRAN

REF: A. STATE 120288

B. KUWAIT 1107

Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and
d


1. (C) Summary: The GOK maintains a consistent position
regarding Iran's nuclear program and that is that Iran has
the right of any state to pursue a peaceful, transparent
civilian energy program, but does not have the right to
develop a program with military applications, according to
MFA's Iran desk officer. Kuwait's PM emphasized this point
during a November 21-22 visit to Tehran, according to the MFA
source, and Kuwait remains supportive of IC, IAEA and P5 1
efforts to bring Iran into compliance with international
safeguards. The MFA desk officer also emphasized that a
primary purpose of the PM's visit to Tehran was to allay
tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia ahead of the
Kuwait-hosted December GCC Summit. He acknowledged that
Kuwait and Iran signed two "generic" MOU's pertaining to
commercial and electricity/water cooperation, but details
remain to be worked out. Kuwait's Amir may visit Tehran over
the coming year in his capacity as GCC chair, with an aim to
"stabilizing" Iran-GCC relations. End Summary.


2. (C) Political Counselor on November 24 raised Ref A points
concerning U.S. posture on Iran's nuclear program with MFA
Asia Department Counselor Rashid Al-Hajri, who covers Iran
issues. Al-Hajri assured PolCouns that the GOK's policy
regarding Iran's nuclear program remains consistent -- the
GOK accepts the right of any state to develop a peaceful,
transparent program for energy and other civilian purposes,
but opposes any development of a program in the region for
military purposes. Al-Hajri added that the GOK stands ready
to work with the IC to encourage Iran to abide by IAEA and
other international safeguards and to do so in a spirit of
transparency and dialogue.


3. (C) Adding further context to Kuwait Prime Minister Shaykh
Nasser Al-Sabah's November 21-22 visit to Tehran, accompanied
by a senior GOK delegation (ref B),Al-Hajri stated that the
PM had made a point of reiterating to his Iranian
interlocutors that Iran "must" work with the international
community, particularly the P5 1 and the IAEA, to provide
assurances that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful
civilian purposes and does not have military applications.
Al-Hajri denied a report (noted ref B) that the PM had
conveyed to the Iranians a message from Russian FM Lavrov
urging the Iranians to accept a nuclear fuel deal now on the
table, commenting that the Russians have "strong" relations
with Iran and did not need Kuwait to transmit its messages.


4. (C) Al-Hajri confirmed, as suggested Ref B, that a primary
goal of the PM's trip to Tehran was to "smooth the waters"
ahead of the GCC Summit that Kuwait will host December 14-16;
the visit to Tehran gave the GOK an opportunity to hear the
Iranian point of view on the whole spectrum of regional
issues and to provide the reciprocal GOK and, to some extent,
GCC view on these same issues. Al-Hajri noted that the PM
had specifically urged Iran to undertake efforts to resolve
ongoing tensions with Saudi Arabia by using "more moderate
language" and by ceasing its support for the Houthis in
Yemen; he also called on them to refrain from interfering
with the Hajj. Al-Hajri said the PM urged Tehran to send its
Foreign Minister to Riyadh to resolve common problems
peacefully and anticipated that this might occur soon.


5. (C) Al-Hajri also confirmed that two Kuwait-Iran MOUs had
been signed during the PM's stay in Tehran, one on commercial
and economic cooperation and a second on electricity and
water. Al-Hajri said the MOU's were "very generic" with
details to be worked out later. The MOU's, he added, "could"
facilitate investment opportunities for Iranian business in
Kuwait.


6. (C) Queried on press reports that the Amir is expected to
follow up the PM's visit with a trip to Iran in "coming
months", Al-Hajri acknowledged that Iran has pushed hard for
this. He noted that the Amir "may" carry out such a visit
over the coming year in his capacity as GCC chair, with the
aim of stabilizing overall GCC-Iran relations. No date has
been set for such a visit, however, and the timing would
depend on further assessments of cross-Gulf relations further
down the road.


7. (C) Comment: Al-Hajri's comments ring true and are
consistent with Embassy's sense that the GOK -- with its
stature riding on a successful outcome for the December GCC

KUWAIT 00001112 002 OF 002


Summit -- viewed the PM's visit as a way to leverage better
behavior out of the Iranians during the coming months. The
visit also had the effect of burnishing the PM's diplomatic
credentials, while throwing the Iranians a few bones -- the
"generic" MOUs -- that may or may not amount to much but
which allow the Iranians to look less isolated. The GOK, as
Al-Hajri acknowledged, remains deeply concerned about Iran's
nuclear program and will have viewed the PM's visit as an
opportunity to reiterate their concerns while playing the
role of regional mediator and peacemaker. The Amir may well
choose to follow up on this trajectory, if circumstances
prove favorable. End Comment.

********************************************* *********
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at:

http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it
********************************************* *********
JONES